1. The Depravity Of A Crumbling Nation On Display For The World To See

3. I agree completely. There's not much here worth saving or defending....

"The Grand Experiment" was a failure. The people cannot be trusted to govern or to judge. The people have turned a once proud,just and compassionate nation into a hell hole of greed, hatred, religious fanaticism and violence.

72. ^This

10. I don't think it is the people,. it is the corporate-military that runs things.

If you look at any good opinion polls, people are very reasonable on most issues of note, HOWEVER the actions of their "government" simple do not reflect the wills of the people. It is this corporate-military 1% minority that writes the laws and deregulates all for simple profit$. The people have simple been removed from the running of our world. That important stuff is taken care of for us, by the 1% that have taken control of the all the wealth and power.

28. If you follow the thread you can see what I am responding to;

This comment in fact;

"The Grand Experiment" was a failure. The people cannot be trusted to govern or to judge. The people have turned a once proud, just and compassionate nation into a hell hole of greed, hatred, religious fanaticism and violence."

There is nothing about a "jury" or "Trayvon Martin",. even the original post is a bit deeper than a single incident or trial.

Even so, yes the gun corporations and the constant militarism of the corporate media and corporate film culture did in fact kill Trayvon and so many others. The single incident is merely anecdotal, it is the much more dangerous overarching trends to be concerned with. For instance now it is legal to stalk a person while holding a concealed weapon, and if the confront you about your stalking shoot them dead because you feel scared they could hurt you. Nasty precedent to be setting.

90. + a gazillion.

17. The people failed to the extent that they have not got off their ass while their rights are being

taken away. It has been a 35 year erosion that is like the slowly boiling frogs example. Our real problem is that we allow campaign contributions. These political whores sell out to the ones that put and keep them in office. Those that control the money in the elections have the control over our government. We allowed that to happen!

51. "they have not got off their ass"

Well Occupy did. Wisconsin did. We've had numerous marches on Washington. And most of us here vote every election. We moved heaven and earth to elect President Obama and a Democratic Senate, and we have petitioned our politicians every time they were at a crossroads. There's always more that we can do, but I believe we "got off our ass."

We've now come to the realization that what we've done is not enough to overcome the will of the entrenched PTB,, so what should we do now?

92. I stand corrected. What I am talking about would require far larger numbers..

I believe that we must all elect candidates willing to sign a pledge to fight and pass, complete campaign finance reform. We have to get the money out of politics as much as possible and publicly finance elections. Our problems won't get fixed and we will have to continue to fight to keep what we have. Eventually they will take all of our rights and all of our money!

95. what the hell are you talking about?

The Zimmerman verdict was indeed unjust, but face reality : thiis cancer of racism has ALWAYS afflicted our nation. It's not as if we were more humane decent and compassionate in the past. And our nation is NOT crumbling, the truth, horrifying as it is, is that we have never been better. These horrendous miscarriages of justice have been pat and pacel of American life forever. Yes it damned well must stop but why pretend things were better in the past. The truth is damning enough, no need to romantacize the past for whatever effect. An American was walking home from a store was accosted and murdered. by a filthy bigot and the bigot goes unpunished. That sucks it should make every American's blood boil but its time we admit that's how our.country has ALWAYS been. Things weren't better when black folks couldn't vote. We the people will continue to make our nation better. Zimmerman and the whole corrupt establishment in Sanford will be remembered unlikely by history. Damn them to hell. But the grand experiment in self government continues to be a resou.ding success. May God continue to bless these united states and all the wonderful people who believe in what we stand for. And hopefully one day our nation will live up to our lofty ideals.

42. whatever

ok let me put it this way. Verdicts like this have been the norms for more years than I have been alive. Verdicts like this are indicative of a diseased inner body(nation). You can believe what ever you please. Your right as a free amerikkkan, I will believe what I know to be truth and I agree with the original post, diseased and crumbling. geez.

14. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

15. The

judge was beside herself with pride in her race, I heard it in her voice, her body language got energized after the verdict was read and those six jurors guaranteed the triumph of evil in Sanford, in the state of Florida and I venture the South and the United States in general. Jackie Robinson was spring training in Sanford, a lynch mob ran him out of town. Racist, backward and ignorant amerikkkans have been triumphing since slavery and the genocide against the Native Americans. Never stopped. Yeah, you're right. Something must be done to stop the coming genocide of young black children by racist and ignorant white people.

23. I

am not blaming her, just an observation of her demeanor after the verdict was read. She's a republican and under the guise and mantle of impartiality, she was not disappointed by the ruling. Period. I've seen enough racist judges in my lifetime.

26. I think the verdict sucks. I think ascribing motives to the judge is a bridge too far.

She might be simply glad that the case is over. She might have been fearful of outbursts in the courtroom. She might have wanted to wrap shit up quickly.

When she ripped the defense about whether or not Zimmerman was going to testify, I didn't see any coddling or consideration of Zimmerman there.

I am not convinced that, because she moved quickly to poll the jury and wrap up, that she was a "racist judge." She might be, but I didn't see it. She very easily could have exhibited the same qualities had the verdict gone the other way--since it didn't, we will never know.

34. whatever

57. They just don't get it.

They do not understand that people of color have been worried about the fate of their children from the time they were throwing them off the ship in the Middle passage. Having 300 years of your children being killed for no reason other than the perceptions made on the color of their skin. When its embedded in your history and present in your daily life you see it a mile away with 19 corners in front of that.

62. and we won't mention the Troll Patrol

38. She allowed

some of those people on the jury and she allowed the Defense to enter things in the trial had no relevance. I disagreed with her not allowing racial profiling in the case and turning around to let the defense use it to stereotype Martin. I didn't think Zimmerman's trainer had any business testifying about what he thought was the physical capacity of Trayvon Martin. Trayvon was a person he never even met, so how can he testify about his physical capacity compared to George Zimmerman? That Trial was a sham. The Sanford Police Department also should have been on trial in this case. Their investigation wasn't that perfect. The Prosecution acted like they didn't want to prosecute either. It just seemed like one big coverup by the Judicial system in that jurisdiction. I wouldn't blame the Black community if they were outraged at the Sanford police Department. The bottomline is the entire country got to see the trial and the evidence, and a lot of people are outraged at the verdict. At least two jurors the prosecution tried to strike should have not been approved by this judge. Their answers seemed prejudicial against the victim to me. I wouldn't be surprised if they lied too, so they could get on the jury.

45. I did not watch the jury selection so I cannot speak to that.

It's the prosecution and defense attorneys that decide on the jury, not the judge. Sure, the judge seats them, but if either side objects and opens up potential for a mistrial that juror isn't getting seated. If really bad juror(s) got seated, then the prosecution didn't do their job. They should have used investigators to check out those jurors--the defense does that kind of thing all the time.

I DO think the prosecution didn't work hard enough, to some extent, and I have to wonder why they didn't put their shoulder to the wheel. They seemed to stroll through the case, and not respond effectively when they should have been more forceful.

I also agree that the Sanford Police Department were way too "buddy buddy" with Zimmerman and they seemed eager to get him acquitted.

It didn't seem like a fair trial, but I think the judge was the least of the problems.

48. the

whole trial/situation was a sham from start to finish. The prosecution was part and parcel of this sham. "buddy, buddy"? "seemed eager"? They only arrested him 45 days later and only because of the rising uproar. They did not even try to contact Trayvon's parents about that body in the morgue. Selective memory is at work with you.

50. Now you're being rude and nasty and not reading what I am saying, so you have a nice day. nt

53. Well, maybe you

have a point about the prosecution, but I don't really know what powers they have. They did strike a couple of jurors, the judge overruled and allowed to be seated. The specific jurors I'm referring to is the one that made references to riots and the other one that made a reference about curfews relating to Martin. I think the prosecution made a move to strike those jurors. I think the judge should have dismissed both. They struck all the Black candidates targeted by O'Mara. I don't know what the prosecution can do after the judge overrules them. It was not the only example I disagreed with her rulings on, I felt the prosecution should have challenged her on. It was an accumulation of things which weakened the prosecutions case, and I would have sought her removal.

54. I don't know the judge, I didn't watch the jury selection, but if she's a Democrat, I kind of doubt

that she's one of those "racist" ones. Women and minorities in the Democratic Party share common cause and common goals.

I just didn't see any overtly racist behavior from the judge. I did think, from what I saw, that the prosecution started off better than they finished up, and that they didn't prepare their witnesses, and they were lousy on cross. They missed a shitload of opportunities to display moral outrage, and they didn't object enough. IMO, anyway.

I didn't think the defense did a "good" job--I think they were smarmy and racist. Apparently, though, they did a "good enough" job to get their client off.

I am sick about the verdict. I don't think it was fair. I just don't think blaming the judge is the way to go...

46. Stop with

the Democrat stuff. Are you suggesting no Democrats are racist? You hardly even noticed any objections from the prosecution because they were so passive. A lot of people were wondering if the prosecution showed up. A lot of evidence that was relevant was left out too. If I would have asked for the judge removed if she didn't let it in. She let the defense bring in stuff that wasn't evidence but only things to demonize the victim. It turned into Trayvon being on Trial. He got demonized in that trial and the judge allowed it. The badgering of Jenteal was ridiculous, and the prosecution never objected. They used kid gloves with defense witnesses too, especially Serino and John Good who should have been Defense witnesses.

I would have attacked Serino's investigation and John Good. Serino removed himself from the case and appeared to have some animosity towards the prosecution. I wouldn't have accepted Good's answer about clarifying his original statements. They should have did the same to Good, the defense took hours to do to Jenteal. Good is the only person claiming he saw Zimmerman on the bottom and calling for help. He is also the one that gave the description about MMA style. I would have enquired if he got that from Serino, when Serino talked to him. It just seems like a big coverup by law enforcement officials in that jurisdiction. I heard one the first thing O'Mara did after the Trial was to criticise reverand Sharpton. It leaves me to believe O'Mara took this case just for political reasons and not justice. He made sure, that he got his audience at FOX News. He also made sure he got the jury he wanted. He came out later in the media and floated he wish the jury was diverse. Duh, he is the one made sure it wasn't.

49. 10-4

52. I was responding to the poster who said she was a republican.

Merely stating what she actually was. And nothing I said suggests democrats are racists. Good lord.
Did you read the earlier posts about the judge? Pretty much calling HER a racist. So it would be THOSE people who were implying a racist democrat. NOT me.

82. Oh

I have. Thank you for the invitation. I've had a clue at to what's going on in this country for the minority races for 300 hundred years. It doesn't matter whether she's rethug, rethug-tea party or democrat. She looked happy at the verdict and didn't try to hid it under judicial impartiality. Yeah........I'm laughing a lot of tears for a 17 year old unarmed kid, dead, because of a racist pig who profiled him, stalked him and killed him for reasons only he knows. Head banged on concrete 20-30 times? Bullshit. Hit in the face 20 times or so? Bullshit. Yeah the frailty of human law ignored these facts uttered by zimpig. It, the trial was a joke, the verdict a travesty. Fuck the bullshit, the only thing I'm glad about is the restraint shown by people of color. No clue.

86. i also blame the entire sanford florida NOjustice system.

the judge never ripped the defense nothing. it was all part of a concerted effort to maintain the sanford status quo and keep the local law enforcement out of the mud. furthermore, from what i saw of the trial, the prosecution was weak & just went through the "motions."

31. thanks

you're a brother in arms, I respect that. Yet I feel like I,m on my way again to my grandmothers house in Georgia as a kid. 50's. Gas and restroom break. Mother guiding me to colored toilet. 21st century and it wouldn't surprise me if, in amerikkka, it happened again. Oh, and I remember the smell of that toilet to this day. I'm looking for rethug reactionary laws passed because of this ruling. To the detriment of all decent people. Peace to you.

73. Each minority death, each foreclosure, each

Even military members whose family members are suffering from the injustice caused by our whacked out immigration policy (or lack thereof).

We can reach a tipping point, when enough people are suffering. IF (big if) it happens, it will be swift and harsh. Mostly on the young and old.

One of the reasons riots succeed in other nations is because the generals won't fire on their sons. The same sort of logic MAY apply here.

Also, I believe there could be a cascade effect if we have a revolution. At first there could be an igniting event, and then a riot. Then riots in several cities. Then open revolution. The military would be pivotal in this scenario. If local commanders don't obey their masters, it's a wide open proposition.

Having borne too much witness to the violent, lawless, brutal nature of war, I try to hold no illusions...